


She's A Keeper

by thealternativeroute



Category: Fifth Harmony (Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-24 08:57:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6148309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealternativeroute/pseuds/thealternativeroute
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hogwarts/Quidditch AU</p>
<p>or, the one where laurmani are dumb oblivious jocks and everyone knows it but them</p>
            </blockquote>





	She's A Keeper

“And it’s Coleman with the Quaffle, she’s going strong – options out left with Frangipane – no she’s going it alone – dodged a bludger from Hamilton – and she’s only the keeper to face now – and the Ravenclaw Captain and Keeper Jauregui has saved it again! No one can get past her today. The score remains Slytherin 0 – Ravenclaw 70.”

Normani brought her broom to a halt as she caught her breath high above the Quidditch pitch, surveying the players below. The Ravenclaw offensive made a quick break, looping around the Slytherin bludgers and sending the quaffle straight through the left hoop. The game was entering its 90th minute, and although Ravenclaw now had an 80 point lead and a formidable keeper in Lauren, Normani knew that the Slytherin seeker had to catch the snitch soon or they’d all tire and start slipping up. Seeing a bludger hurtle towards her, she drew her arm back before powerfully redirecting it towards the Slytherin keeper.

“And its Frangipane with the Quaffle now, trying to come back after yet another goal conceded to the clearly dominant Ravenclaw team- and she’s been dispossessed by a well-aimed bludger from Haynes – now Blanchard has the quaffle and she’s headed towards the Slytherin goal – OUCH! And a nasty bludger has taken her out of the competition, looks like Madam Pomfrey will be busy tonight – and a foul has been given against Slytherin for Mahone’s excessive aggression. Steinfeld lines up for the shot – and it’s 90-0 for Ravenclaw. I must say, it’s been quite some time since we’ve seen a Ravenclaw side as strong as this one – all those hard hours the captain has been putting them through have paid off…” 

Normani let the commmentator’s voice fade into the background as she surveyed the pitch once more. She saw their seeker, Brad, zooming around the Slytherin end of the pitch, searching for any hint of the snitch while the Slytherin seeker was hot on his heels. The remaining Ravenclaw offence paired up, Colton beating off any bludgers as they attempted to increase their lead. On the pitch below, Rowan was being stretchered off and taken to Madam Pomfrey to be healed. Spotting a bludger headed towards Lauren, she dove down towards their goals and hit it back towards the Slytherin chasers, taking brief pleasure with watching it collide with Ashley Frangipane. She stuck right by Lauren’s side, deflecting both bludgers repeatedly – it seemed the Slytherin team’s new strategy was simply to do their best to knock the Ravenclaw defense out of the way. 

“And the Ravenclaw team has scored again, bringing the score to 100-0. At this rate they won’t need to catch the snitch to win! And while the quaffle remains up the Slytherin end, their own beaters seem preoccupied with trying to knock out the keeper – is that legal? And a fumble from Steinfeld leaves the quaffle back in Coleman’s hands - she dodges a bludger from Haynes – she passes it off to the unmarked Frangipane, who loops back around the goals – Jauregui still under fire from the Slytherin beaters – she takes a shot as Potter blocks Hamilton from defending – and GOAL! – that’s the first points for Slytherin this game – the score is now 100-10 – but the Ravenclaw team won’t be deterred, even one woman down – Steinfeld is back on the offensive – and what’s this? The Ravenclaw seeker seems to have caught sight of the snitch – he’s diving, but the Slytherin seeker is not far behind – Simpson narrowly misses a bludger to the head – both seekers need to catch this for a win to their team – and Ravenclaw chaser Weasley is trying to jockey Scorpius Malfoy off the chase – oh, and Steinfeld scores for Ravenclaw - the score is 110-10, not enough yet for a win – another close call with a bludger for Simpson- but HE’S CAUGHT THE SNITCH!! FINAL SCORE 260-10 FOR RAVENCLAW, AN EMPHATIC VICTORY!”

The cheers of the crowd greeted Normani and the rest of the team as they reached the ground, pulling Brad in for a celebratory group hug. She couldn’t tear the smile off of her face, even as she watched a smirking Lauren pull her pouting girlfriend in for a kiss, the Slytherin chaser rolling her eyes at Lauren’s smug face. Normani simply swallowed the painful lump in her throat and turned back to her jubilant team mates.

\-------

The Ravenclaw house party continued well into the night after their victory; even Professor Flitwick could only half-heartedly tell the rowdy students to keep it down – after all, Ravenclaw hadn’t beaten Slytherin in a quidditch match since Roger Davies held the Captaincy in 1996. Even students from other houses were celebrating the result – Normani had spotted Hufflepuff’s golden couple in Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello making out against a portrait of Laverne de Montmorency while Gryffindor Dinah Jane Hansen pelted them with Pepper Imps. Even Normani was unwinding, chasing Firewhiskey with Butterbeer to try and avoid thinking about Lauren and Ashley, who were snuggled in an arm chair by the fire, connected by the face and showing no indication that they realised they weren’t alone. 

“Hey pretty lady.” Normani jumped as her on again, off again, sometimes friends-with-benefits, boyfriend Aron crept up behind her. One arm around her waist he pulled her in for a kiss which she gave into before gently but firmly pushing him away.

“Not tonight, Aron.”

“Why not?” He whined. “My baby girl is a champion. I wanna give her the treatment she deserves.”

Normani rolled her eyes as Aron ducked his head down to suck on her pulse point. Chuckling, she pushed him away again.

“I said not tonight, horndog. I’m not in the mood. And don’t think I don’t know about you and Molly bunking off Herbology and getting it on around the back of greenhouse five.”

Aron frowned slightly as he spoke again. “You heard about that? And I thought we said we aren’t exclusive?”

“We’re not exclusive, you’re right. But it’s not exactly flattering to think me and Molly are on the same level to you. You want this? You gotta prove you’re worth it, boy.” 

Mani chuckled to herself as Aron skulked off, no doubt to find another girl to latch onto, downing the rest of her butterbeer as she searched for someone to talk to. As it happened, someone found her first; a clearly inebriated Lauren all but falling into her as she swung an arm around Normani’s neck to keep herself upright.

“Manniiiii.” Lauren slurred, hot breath teasing the baby hairs on Normani’s neck as inappropriate thoughts clouded her brain. “You playyeedd so well today. You’re amazing…”

“You always say that.” Normani replied as she tried in vain to get the other girl standing upright.

“It’s always true!” The drunk girl protested, placing a hand on Normani’s abs as she leant on her even heavier. “But… Ash-Ashley, s-she wanted me to tell you to ssstop targeting her.”  
Normani frowned at the reminder of Lauren’s girlfriend. “I wasn’t targeting her. I was just doing my job… efficiently.” 

“There you are, Lauren! I thought you were getting us drinks, babe.” 

Normani had to struggle to refrain from full-on scowling at the interruption –time alone with Lauren (even if she’s drunk) had been hard to come by in the months since she started dating Ashley. The (currently) blue-haired metamorphagus was pleasant enough, but she always seemed to rub Normani the wrong way, and Normani couldn’t help but wonder for the nth time if Ashley knew about her hidden feelings for Lauren. 

“Hey Ashley,” She smiled falsely. “Bad luck with the game today. You played well enough but I guess the better team won today.”

Ashley simply smirked back. “Well it’s no surprise when a team of seventh years beats a team primarily composed of second years is it? We’ll see what happens when you face Gryffindor after Easter, huh?”

Normani clenched her jaw in anger as the blue-haired girl led her drunk girlfriend away, snatching a firewhiskey shot off a tray that floated by and accidentally knocking the whole thing over and onto a poor first year who was terrified by her first house party. Knocking the shot back, she relished the satisfying burn creeping down her throat as she sought out Aron in the crowd. Maybe she did have some use for him tonight, after all.

\------

Patrolling with Dinah after hours was one of her unexpectedly favourite things to do. They had spoken in passing before, but it wasn’t until they were randomly assigned patrols together that Normani found out how much they had in common. While Dinah didn’t seem to take her prefect duties as seriously as Mani did (Dinah was much more likely to be found working with Peeves to prank misbehaving students than she was to admonish them), the two bonded quickly over their shared muggle background, and largely shared course load. Ravenclaw shared classes with Gryffindor in most areas, so the two had become almost inseparable since their sixth year. And with the territory of being Mani’s friend, came the position of Head of “Listening to Normani’s Woes About the Incomparable and Unattainable Lauren Jauregui”. Not that Dinah minded in the slightest. In fact, she was the self-dubbed captain of the “Laurmani” Ship and was set on making Lauren get her head out of her ass and realise what’s in front of her.

“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, Normani ; she will not reject you. Just tell her. You’re her best friend, you’re bangin’ hot, you’re in her own house, you’re smart, you’re funny… need I go on?”

“No you should stop, I hate compliments.” Normani said sarcastically before taking on a more serious tone. “But, really. I can’t. She’s got a girlfriend.”

“Yeah, Ashley. So you’ve told me. At length. Repeatedly.” Dinah rolled her eyes, waving her wand to create a storm cloud that would rain on any first year that happened to walk underneath it. “But seriously. No offence to her, but Ashley ain’t shit. You’ve been best friends with Lauren for how long? 6 years? And nobody she’s dated has lasted longer than a couple months. You know why? Because they’re not you.”

“Yes because we’re friends, Dinah. Not lovers, or girlfriends or whatever. That’s the reason I’m still around.”

“All I’m saying is that she’s put up with you for this long and she still perks up like a puppy every time she sees you. She’s totally in love with you. She may not realise it, and you may not want to believe it for whatever reason, but it’s true. I know it, everyone knows it. Even Ashley knows it, which is why the claws come out whenever you’re around. Now, enough talk about your depressing lack of courage – I can see why you weren’t good enough for Gryffindor. Let’s find some misbehavin’ kids to torment!” 

Rolling her eyes, Normani followed her eager best friend. Duty calls.

\-----

As Christmas approached, the air grew frigid and the lake froze, giving the Hogwarts grounds a kind of meditative stillness – the whole castle and its surrounds a picturesque image covered in a fine layer of snow. As the temperatures dropped lower with each passing day, most students retreated permanently into the warm interior of the castle, finishing their work for the semester while counting down to the holidays.

Unfortunately for Normani and her teammates, cold weather, homework and impending holidays were not good enough reasons for Quidditch practice to be cancelled. Despite the relatively uncomplicated victory over Slytherin, Lauren was becoming obsessive over the idea of winning the Quidditch Cup for the first time this side of the millenium, and had decided that their training regime should be increased from two to five times a week, come rain, hail or shine. This would perhaps not be an issue if their next match had been against Hufflepuff and not Gryffindor, who had made a frankly abysmal showing against Hufflepuff earlier in the term, going down 540-30, Dinah catching an unsuspecting Louis Tomlinson in the ribs with a bludger being her team’s only highlight in the 2-hour game. 

And so, Normani and the team found themselves running drills in the freezing rain while a slightly manic Lauren barked orders against the howling wind. Normani was shivering when Colton pulled up beside her, tucking his worryingly purple fingers into his armpits as he tried to talk over the wind and rain.

“This is ridiculous Normani! Make her stop!”

“You go tell her. I’m staying still to retain body heat.”

“She won’t listen to me! You tell her, she might actually listen to you.” He stared at her knowingly while Normani frowned in confusion.

“Why the hell would she listen to me? I’m no more special than you.” 

Colton just stared at her before nodding his head at their captain and flying back off to join the rest of the team. Sighing resignedly, Normani floated cautiously over to Lauren, careful not to surprise her, lest she risk a rogue fist in the face.

“LAUREN!” She shouted over the wind. “GIVE IT UP! IT’S FREEZING. THIS IS USELESS!”

Lauren glanced at her appraisingly, taking in her now colourless, mud-stained uniform and shaking frame. Shaking her head in resignation, she lifted her whistle to her mouth and blew it sharply.

“ALRIGHT! WE’RE DONE FOR TODAY! HIT THE SHOWERS PEOPLE! BUT DON’T THINK WE’RE CANCELLING TOMORROW – IF WE CAN FLY, WE WILL FLY!”

The rest of the team perked up almost comically, zooming down to the ground and dismounting before disappearing into the changing rooms. Normani and Lauren made their way down just after them, collecting the abandoned equipment left by the rest of the team. Entering the (now abandoned) changing room, Mani immediately cast off her sodden Quidditch robes, casting a drying spell on herself and getting dressed once more, preparing herself for the walk back up to the castle. Packing her stuff away into her bag, before turning to see Lauren still in the doorway, soaking wet and seemingly staring off into space (or, that’s what Normani tells herself – there’s no point getting her hopes up that her friend was staring at her).

“Earth to Lauren, do you copy?” Lauren seemed to snap out of her trance, clearing her throat and straightening up, walking into the change room and laying her equipment down.

“What does that mean?” Lauren asked confused.

“What does what mean?”

“What you just said – Earth to Lauren, or whatever? What does that mean?”

“Oh, right.” Normani laughed quietly. “It’s a muggle thing.”

Lauren rolled her eyes good naturedly. “Of course it’s a muggle thing. I should have known.”

“Yeah, you should have, actually.” Normani teased. “I’ve been your best friend since you were 11, you’d think you’d take an interest in muggle life.”

“Hey!” Lauren protested. “I totally do take an interest in muggle life! There’s just a lot to take in. I’m working on it.”

“Suuuure. That’s what they all say.” Trying to act affronted, she crossed her arms and stared back at the other girl, biting her cheek to stop a smile when Lauren got down on her knees to crawl towards her.

“Normaaaniii.” Lauren whined, giving her best puppy dog eyes. “Pleeeasssse. You know I try. Please forgive me. I’ll get you something for Christmas! Something real nice.”

Cracking under the pressure of Lauren’s gaze, Normani let a wide smile take over her features, spreading even wider at the smile that appeared on Lauren’s face as a result. 

“You better be getting me something nice anyway, Jauregui. You know my friendship don’t come free.”

“Of course.” Lauren said simply, opening her arms wide for Normani to hug her. Holding her tightly, they rocked back and forth for a few moments in silence before Lauren spoke to her again.

“Come with me at Christmas.” Waiting for clarification, Normani didn’t respond for a few seconds before it became clear that was all that was being said.

“You mean, to your home? Where your family lives?” They didn’t talk about it much, but Lauren’s family had long held pure blood supremacist views – they never actively campaigned for them, and actively fought against Voldemort and his followers during the war, but they’d been… disappointed, to say the least, when Lauren was sorted into Ravenclaw over Slytherin, and even more so when an ordinary, muggle-born girl had turned out to be her best friend. Thus, Normani had never risked asking to visit or meet them in case they forbid Lauren from seeing her again. As far as she knew even Ashley, who was a half-blood from a low-born wizarding family, was yet to meet Lauren’s parents, so the sudden request took Normani somewhat by surprise.

“Yeah. Would that be okay? I mean, you don’t have to – of course I understand if you wan’t to be with your family – you can only see them at holidays and you’re stuck with me most of the year so obviously you might not want to do it-“

“Lauren.” Normani interrupted, pulling the rambling girl back by the shoulders to look her in the eye. “I would love to come. It’s about time as well!” Lauren smiled softly at this, nodding sheepishly. “But, why me? Doesn’t Ashley want to meet your parents?”

Lauren seemed to go stiff at the mention of her girlfriend, the smile slipping off her face as she moved away from Normani.

“Er- yeah. She does, I mean- I think she does. But she’s um… busy, and anyway we’ve only been dating since the summer and you’re, well, you.”

“Well, whatever the reason, I’d love to come. It’s about time I got to see what my best friend is like behind closed doors, huh?”

\---------

The final week of the school term seemed to pass achingly slowly but largely without incident for most of Hogwarts’ students (except for one unfortunate second year girl who ran across the frozen Black Lake on a dare and had to be rescued from the giant squid after the ice gave way). All the seventh years were eager to get out of Hogwarts for the break and away from all the reminders of the ever approaching NEWT exams. Normani and Dinah had their last night patrol on the last day before the break and were enjoying catching out the unusually festive (and reckless) students making the most of all the dark corners on the fifth floor (a phenomenon which was only enhanced by Dinah’s enchanted mistletoe). 

“Lord, I swear that boy was about to shit his pants, DJ. God, he looked terrified!”

“Of course he was,” Dinah scoffed. “He was out past curfew and got caught by not only two of the baddest chicks he’s ever seen, but also two of the greatest beaters Hogwarts has ever seen. He wasn’t sure whether to be horny or afraid.”

“Speak for yourself, Dinah. I, for one, am definitively the greatest beater in the history of Hogwarts. You… well I’m not sure where you’d even place in Gryffindor, let alone the whole of Hogwarts.”

Dinah let out a mock-offended gasp as she spun round to face her friend and fellow prefect. 

“Rude! You best watch yourself when we play against each other, miss thang. You gon’ be regretting your wise talk right now.”

“Nuh-uh.” Normani boasted. “I won’t be regretting shit when me and Lauren lift the Quidditch cup right in front of your face. This is our year, I know it.”

“Well, it may as well. The last twenty certainly haven’t been.” 

Gasping at the blonde’s sly dig at Ravenclaw, she lunged forward to play tackle her, only to find herself grasping at thin air as Dinah ran away from her, laughter puffing out between breaths.

“You gotta catch me if you wanna fight me, loser!” Dinah crowed, turning on her heel and taking off down the hallway. Shaking her head at her friend’s antics, Normani raced down the corridor after her, taking the corner at full speed before nearly tripping over herself as she tries to stop at the sight of Dinah kneeling down next to one of the classroom doors. Crouching down, she opened her mouth to ask Dinah what she was doing, but before she got the chance, one of Dinah’s hands shot out to cover her mouth.

“There’s someone in there.” The taller girl whispered.

Pushing Dinah’s arm off her face, she whispered back.

“Who?”

“Can’t see. Wanna bust ‘em?”

Normani rolled her eyes. “That’s our job, D.”

“You wanna do the honours?”

Nodding quickly, Normani stood up and grasped the handle of the door.

“1… 2….3….” Pushing open the door, Normani held out her wand and shouted her and Dinah’s usual mantra. “PREFECTS. KEEP YOUR HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM AND SURRENDER ALL WEAPONS. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT, ANYTHING YOU SAY CAN AND WILL B-“ 

Normani’s voice gave out mid sentence as the sight before her made her heart drop into her stomach and her arm to drop limply to her side. In front of her was a dishevelled Ashley, her blue hair awry on top of her head and her shirt decidedly not on her body, and a petrified looking Gryffindor girl who Normani didn’t recognise, panties around her ankles and skirt hiked up around her waist. Long moments passed in silence as the tension in the room escalated. Dinah was the first to break the silence, clearing her throat roughly before addressing the fourth girl in the room.

“Get out of here Gomez. That’s fifty points off from Gryffindor and detention with Professor Sprout all of the first week back for breaking curfew.”

The Gryffindor girl looked all too glad to have an exit from the uncomfortable situation, not even bothering to fight the unusually harsh punishment as she grabbed her discarded tie off the ground and hastened out of the room. The room became deadly quiet once again as the Dinah and Normani stared the other girl down.

“Guys, listen. It’s not what it see-“

“I should hex you.” Normani was frighteningly calm, spitting her words out with a kind of venom that Dinah had never seen from her before. “I should seriously hex you into oblivion for this.”

“I know, but if you’d just listen-“

“I don’t care what you have to say!” Normani burst out. “You’re dating my best friend, have been for months! And now I find you with some other nobody all but doing the nasty after dark when no one can know! It doesn’t matter what you have to say – the situation speaks for itself!”

“It’s not how you think-” Ashley tried to speak over the top of Normani.

“It’s exactly how I think!” Normani yelled, and stepped forward brandishing her wand at the metamorphagus. This seemed to shock Dinah into action, snatching the wand from her friends hand while trying to hold her back with her other arm. “You cheated on Lauren! You never deserved her in the first place, an-”

“SHE’S IN LOVE WITH YOU, YOU IDIOT!” Ashley burst out, stunning the other two girls into stillness. 

“She’s been in love with you this whole time, and I knew that. She was just using me to make you jealous, and I was fine with that, I really was, but then of course I fell for her. Because she’s Lauren, Merlin, and who wouldn’t? So I let her use me and I let myself get hurt. So there. That’s what it is.”

Normani swallowed roughly, trying to get her scrambled thoughts in order. She eyed the other girl suspiciously, not willing to trust her after the compromising situation she had been caught in.

“She told you that, did she? That she’s in love with me?”

“That’s your con- well, of course.” Ashley shook her head despairingly. “Of course you’re in love with her too. That’s just perfect.”

“Answer my question, Frangipane.”

“No, she didn’t tell me. But she didn’t have to. It was pretty damn clear who she was really interested in.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Then don’t. I don’t care. But don’t blame me when she latches on to the next girl she sees. You’ve got everything you need to know. Your move.”

“Get out of here Ashley. That’s 100 points from Slytherin, but don’t worry about detention – I’m sure there are plenty of people who will enjoy making your life miserable once this gets out. Oh? You thought you were getting off easy because this relationship was hurting you too? Nuh-uh. You had the chance to do this the right way. But you didn’t. Now get the hell back to the dungeons before I hex you there myself.”

As the other girl dutifully rushed out of the room, head hung low, Dinah moved to embrace her friend, still unable to avoid making a joke.

“Ya know, it’s weird that I’m comforting you. Considering that you’re not actually the one that got cheated on.”

Normani let out a choked laugh as a few hot tears fell down her cheeks. Wiping them off as she sniffled, she turned to face the younger girl. 

“Do you think she was telling the truth? That Lauren ha-has feelings for me too?”

“Gurl, I’ve been telling you this for months now. Why does it suddenly become more true when someone else says it?”

“You know why.” She playfully shoved Dinah’s shoulder, rolling her eyes as the other girl feigned injury. “Like, she wasn’t just saying that as an excuse. So I would be less mad?”

“In what world does lying to the girl that’s been pining over your girlfriend for god knows how many years that it’s mutual ever going to make said girl less mad? That’s just stupid. So either she’s soft in the head or she’s telling the truth. Only one way to find out.”

\--------

Ashley had already come clean to Lauren and broken up with her by the time either Dinah or Normani could get to her… Which they only knew because Lauren told them, not because of the way she seemed to react.

“Lauren,” Dinah started cautiously. “I don’t understand why you’re not more upset about this. Did you know?”

“I mean I didn’t know. But I suspected it.” Lauren shrugged indifferently. “Anyway, we were never really that serious. Not emotionally, anyway. It was more of a physical relationship if you know what I mean?” 

“Yeah… sure. But you’re OK? We don’t have to worry about you?”

Lauren almost laughed at this, looking between her two friends. “I’m fine, you guys. Are you alright? You both seem more cut up about this than me.” 

“We were just worried, Lauren. It seemed like you really liked her.” Normani clarified gently.

“Well I’m fine. Hey Dinah, I don’t mean to be rude, but could you leave me and Mani alone for a minute. There’s something I need to talk to her about.”

Dinah’s eyes widened slightly before she sent Normani a meaningful look. “Yeah, absolutely. Take your time.”

Normani felt her stomach turn as Dinah walked away. Could Ashley have been telling the truth? Could Lauren be about to tell her she shared her feelings. Or did Ashley spill the beans about Normani’s crush and Lauren was about to let her down gently? She felt her breath hitch in her throat as she turned to face Lauren again.

“Hey, Mani, I’m sorry.” Normani felt her heart sink so suddenly she felt she might collapse for the weight of it. Of course she didn’t feel the same way.

“My parents have decided to take a trip to Iceland for the winter break and they want me to come with them. So unfortunately we won’t be able to spend Christmas together like I wanted. I’m really sorry, again.” 

“It’s OK, Lo.” Normani managed to choke out. “I hope you guys have fun.”

If Lauren thought Normani’s sudden departure was strange, she didn’t mention it, merely waving as Normani all but stumbled her way out of the common room. Normani meanwhile, was struggling to remind her lungs to breathe as she tried to comprehend the state of her and Lauren’s relationship. Sure, Lauren hadn’t explicitly stated that she didn’t share her feelings, but maybe she just wasn’t mentioning it to avoid Normani getting hurt. After all, there was no way that Ashley hadn’t told her, right? So why would Lauren fail to mention it unless she didn’t feel the same way? They were both single, and Lauren truly didn’t seem that upset about her break up, so why stay silent? 

\-------

The Christmas break was a blur to Normani. Unable to tell her parents that she’d had her plans cancelled (her mother had been beside herself with excitement for her) she chose to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays with the few others who remained.

Christmas day itself was a subdued affair. She spent most of the day alone, unwrapping her presents (a camera from her parents, various types of muggle candy from her sister and friends) in the morning before eating lunch with the few staff and students that remained.

With none of her friends around to keep her distracted from Lauren, she instead spent her days holed up in the library preparing for her NEWTs and out practicing on the Quidditch field. All too quickly though, the Hogwarts Express arrived once more full of students ready for the Spring term to begin.

Dinah is regaling her with stories of her family’s (as usual) insane and over crowded Christmas lunch as they walk up to the castle from Hogsmeade.

“Anyway, enough about me-”

“A sentence I almost can’t believe you just said.” Normani interjects, laughing at the look of mock offense Dinah sends her.

“Rude!” Dinah protests, attempting to shove her but almost losing her own balance on the partially frosted slope. Regaining her footing she chose instead to just send an angry look her friend’s way. “Anyway, what I was going to ask before you chose to be insolent, is how your romantic festive getaway with your ladylove went. But now, I don’t think I care.”

It takes a moment for Normani to remember that she forgot to mention her cancelled plans to Dinah before they were separated for the break. She plays along with Dinah’s faux-tantrum for a moment anyway.

“Well in that case, I guess you don’t want to hear about the sizzling hot romance we shared over the break and how our love is undying and eternal?”

“You what?!” Dinah wheeled around to face her best friend, this time successfully losing her balance and ending up face down on the ground. Normani almost teared up with laughter at the image that this presented her, and struggled to catch her breath as she helped Dinah to her feet again.

“Oh wow, I’m sorry Dinah.” She huffed. “I didn’t think that would be your reaction.”

“It’s worth it if you’re telling me the truth. If me falling is the upshot of you and Lauren finally getting it on then I’ll take that price.”

“You’ll be disappointed, then. I was just joking. Lauren cancelled on me for family plans.”

“So what you’re saying is you lied to my face and then laughed at me when I fell on my ass? Some friend you are. Bye, loser. Don’t try and talk to me this term.” 

Normani broke down in laughter again at the sight of Dinah angrily trying to storm off, only to be impinged by the very heavy trunk she was dragging behind her, now without Normani’s help. Standing up straight, she exhaled for a moment and then swallowed her pride and turned around.

“Can you help me carry this? It’s damn heavy.”

“Sure, buddy!”

“No talking, though. I’m still angry with you. Playing with my feelings like that… bitch.”

Normani threw her head back and laughed as they made their way up the hill again. Who needed a girlfriend when you’ve got a friend like Dinah Jane?

\------

As January progressed, Normani found herself spending more and more time with Dinah, partly because the girl was one of her best friends, but mostly in order to avoid Lauren. It’s not that Lauren was treating her any differently, it was that Normani was just filled with a crushing sense of disappointment whenever she was around. She felt guilty for it, too. After all, it wasn’t Lauren’s fault that she didn’t feel the same way, and their friendship shouldn’t have to suffer because Normani was too selfish to put her feelings aside. 

She couldn’t avoid her completely, though. Lauren had reinstated Quidditch practice the day after term began again (thankfully less often, after threats of organised strikes from the rest of the Ravenclaw team) but even then she focussed on her own drills, belting bludgers back and forth with the other beater Colton and working a bit with the chasers and seeker on avoiding the bludgers’ path. 

She hoped Lauren wouldn’t notice her targeted avoidance of her, but how could she not? Though she never said anything to her face, the glares when Dinah would join Normani for breakfast said enough. Dinah had even mentioned that Lauren would occasionally snap at her during their shared potions class. Normani understood that Lauren probably felt like she had lost her as a friend, but it wasn’t until Dinah brought it up at lunch a few weeks into the term that she realised how upset Lauren probably was.

“So it finally happened!” Dinah said excitedly, shit eating grin on her face, as she joined Normani at the Ravenclaw table. Normani rolled her eyes and turned back to her lunch, refusing to play into Dinah’s hands.

“Nice to see you too. Did you also have a productive and uneventful morning?”

“Depends what you call ‘productive and uneventful’.” Dinah smirked, which worried Normani a little. “Personally I’d say no. It finally happened.”

“So you’ve mentioned.” Normani said dryly, but refused to ask what, exactly, had happened; trying not to laugh at the agitated girl beside her.

“Are you going to ask what happened, or not?” 

“Fine. I’ll humour you. What happened?”

The shit eating grin returned to Dinah’s face.

“Lauren asked if we were dating!” She declared.

“Wait…. What?”

“I just told you. Lauren. Asked. If. We. Were. Dating.”

“We… As in you and I?”

“Dingdingding! Yup! Why aren’t you more excited about this?” Dinah seemed genuinely concerned.

“I don’t- why- I mean, what is there to be excited about? We aren’t dating?”

“Exactly.” Dinah dragged out. “Well, not exactly. She’s jealous, Mani. That’s what there is to be excited about.”

Normani stared expressionless at her friend for a moment.

“So, what you’re saying is… Lauren thinks we are dating, and asked you about it, therefore she is jealous and we should be excited about that? It doesn’t really add up, DJ. She was probably just curious”

Now it was Dinah’s turn to roll her eyes in exasperation. “Why do you refuse to see it? You’ve been avoiding her like she’s the plague and been spending all your time with me. You won’t even talk to her, or look at her for longer than a few seconds so of course she’s jealous. She’s realised what she’s missing!”

“I’m not avoiding her.” Normani stressed. “I’ve just been busy. I’ve got loads of work to do.”

“Oh come on, Normani. Not even you believe that lie. You’re avoiding her because you think she’ll reject you, and she’s staying away from you because she’s jealous of our ‘relationship’-” She made air quotes with her fingers. “And both of you are too stubborn to do something about and realise you’re perfect for each other. Honestly, I wish you would just get it over with and let me relax for one damn day. My heart can’t take the stress.”

“She’s not in love with me, Dinah. She’s made that perfectly clear. And you need better hobbies than playing matchmaker for me and Lauren. Maybe you should schedule some Quidditch practice – maybe that way you’ll stand a chance against us after Easter.”

“I’m not taking that bait, Kordei. Don’t try and distract me with Quidditch. Especially when we both know that Gryffindor is gonna knock your perky little ass off your perch when we come face to face. If Hufflepuff doesn’t do it first.”

“That’s big talk for someone who couldn’t even score against us last time.”

“Oh girl! We had two chasers in the hospital wing that time. We were playing with children. But now the senior squad is back together, we gon’ wipe the floor with your asses. Recognize!”

\------

By the time the Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw game arrives the next weekend, Lauren and Normani are back on speaking terms. Only just. Between “No, me and Dinah aren’t dating”, and “No, you haven’t done anything wrong”, and “No, I’m not mad at you” and “I’m sorry” Normani hasn’t had much of a chance to get around to actually beginning to confess her feelings for Lauren. Which is probably for the best. Lauren had been jumpy and stressed owing to the upcoming game, and no matter the reaction she would have, dropping that particular bombshell would no doubt be a cause of some distraction during the match. They needed to win – even with their dominating performance over Slytherin in October. Gryffindor had been equally as successful playing against Hufflepuff (who nonetheless put out a good showing), clinching a 300-100 victory and had triumphed just a fortnight ago over Slytherin with a nail biting 250-240 finish. Coming out on top against Hufflepuff would give Ravenclaw the advantage going into their final match against Gryffindor after the Easter break.

So it was rolling stomachs that the Ravenclaw team sat down together for breakfast on Saturday morning, struggling to swallow even plain toast as Lauren attempted to rally them together.

“Now, Hufflepuff is a good team. We know that. It may not have shown against Gryffindor, but that’s only because Hansen knocked out their seeker before she had a chance to catch the snitch. And you can trust that they will be trying tactics like those today. They’re going to throw everything at us, because they need this win just as much as us. And we can’t let them do that. We have a forty point advantage over Gryffindor as the table stands, and we’re going to need every bit of that. But I believe we can increase that gap. If Gryffindor wants this cup, they’re going to have to work for it. And if Hufflepuff wants to stop us, you best believe we are going to give them hell.”

\------

“Aaaand this is a game that might have the largest impact on this year’s Cup race! Many believe that this year could be the year that Ravenclaw finally ends their victory drought. And what a stellar side they are! Captained by the formidable keeper Lauren Jauregui! Chasers Weasley, Steinfeld and Blanchard! Beaters Haynes and Kordei! And of course, seeker Bradley Simpson! It’s Ravenclaw! And up against them today are the challengers - and dare I say underdogs? – Hufflepuff!”

“I trust you will remain impartial for the rest of the game Mr Weasley?” Came Professor McGonagall’s voice.

“Yes, of course! Of course! This year’s Hufflepuff side captained by seeker Camila Cabello! Chasers Palmer, Payne and Horan! Beaters Sprouse and Sprouse, two of a kind! And keeper Mendes, who perhaps has the hardest job on the pitch. Hogwarts hasn’t seen an attacking trifecta like Ravenclaw’s since Johnson, Bell and Spinnet in 1994!”

Normani took her place above the center of the pitch, hovering just above the three chasers. To her right, Colton send her a thumbs up and sent her a reassuring smile. I guess my nerves are showing, she thought, shaking herself to get rid of the built up tension in her body.

“Now Madam Hooch has entered the field of play. The bludgers and the snitch have been released… and the quaffle is thrown up and the game begins! Steinfeld immediately gains possession of the quaffle, and begins Ravenclaw’s first attacking play of the game! Passes to Blanchard, then immediately back to Steinfeld – nice piece of 1-2 play there – and she appears to have dropped the quaffle! No, it’s a bluff, regained by Rose Weasley – what an ingenious play – Weasley approaches the hoops as a bludger from Haynes scatters the Hufflepuff defence – and she scores! Ravenclaw are the first to get points on the board and the score is 10 – nil.”

Normani smacks a bludger in the direction of the Hufflepuff goal as she scans the field around her. Both seekers were sticking close to the other’s side, searching for a glimmer of gold anywhere around them. Another bludger hurtles back towards her and she redirects it towards Hufflepuff seeker Cabello, who is forced from Brad’s side and doesn’t return to it. 

“And another great goal for Ravenclaw! That’s three in a row for the crusaders in blue, and not a hint of a threat on Jauregui’s goal yet! This certainly is the way a champion team would play!”

“Impartiality, Mr Weasley. Remember?” 

“Yes, Professor McGonagall. It won’t happen again. Now the Hufflepuff chasers are on the attack! Its Palmer with the quaffle, she passes it off to Payne, who is dispossessed by a well aimed bludger from Kordei. The quaffle is snatched up by Weasley, who is down towards the Hufflepuff end again. She’s jockied by Horan – no hint of foul play there – but she offloads to Steinfeld who loops around Payne and scores! 40-0 to Ravenclaw!”

All of a sudden Brad seemed to collapse into a dive, hurtling towards the base of the Ravenclaw goal where he seems to have spotted the snitch. Camila, on the opposite side of the pitch, hurtles after him but she is too far away to have a dream of catching up to him. Luckily for Hufflepuff, both twin beaters sent bludgers after Brad, forcing him off the chase of the snitch. Luckily for Ravenclaw, during the excitement, Rowan managed to score again twice, increasing their margin to 60-0. Unluckily for both teams, the snitch disappeared.

“Sprouse and Sprouse may have saved their teams skin there. That was nearly a devastating loss for Hufflepuff, and Cabello is back on Simpson’s side. And we are back to our regular play, ladies and gentlemen! Horan has the quaffle, he’s charging up to the Ravenclaw end. Passes off to Palmer, who passes to Payne, who passes back to Palmer – narrow miss for a Haynes bludger there – still Palmer with the Quaffle. She shoots! And a straight forward save from Jauregui. You won’t get those ones past her. Jauregui offloads to Steinfeld, who passes – no it’s intercepted by Payne – not a mistake you often see from this Ravenclaw side! Payne passes to Palmer who shoots! And scores! Hufflepuff get one back on Ravenclaw! The score is 60-10.”

Normani spots a bludger headed for Lauren and she swoops down to intercept it, sending it back towards Payne, and taking a brief moment of pleasure in watching it meet its target, albeit not hard enough to injure or unseat him. Lauren looks momentarily surprised (a look Normani has rarely seen on her) by how close she was to being knocked off her broom.

“Thanks!” she manages to get out, only just audible over the sound of Hugo Weasley announcing another Ravenclaw goal.

“Anytime! Eyes on the field, Captain!” Normani shoots off back in to the fray. 

“And the Ravenclaw side is back on the offence, bludgers clearing out the defence ahead of them as the trifecta of chasers approach. It’s Blanchard with the quaffle, flanked by Steinfeld and Weasley – she shoots! And a terrific save from Mendes. That is, it’s worth noting, his first save of the game! Well it’s not too late to start putting in a good performance. Hufflepuff now launch an immediate counter attack. It’s Horan, now Payne, now Horan – dodged a bludger there – now Palmer, now Horan. Horan shoots – and scores! 70-20 to Ravenclaw. And they’re back at it again, a renewed Hufflepuff attack seeming to have found a second wind! It’s Palmer, now Payne – Payne shoots, deflected by Jauregui – reclaimed by Horan, now Payne – Payne scores! 70-30. Well Hufflepuff have certainly come back into this game!”

Normani puts all her might into sending a bludger towards to Hufflepuff offense (emphasis on power over accuracy sends it soaring somewhat aimlessly through the dead air), her frustration momentarily clouding her senses and allowing her to miss a bludger from Sprouse that hurtles towards Lauren, and connects with a sickening thud. Lauren is flung off her broom and into the center hoop, falling in seemingly slow motion to the ground where she lays motionless. Normani can feel the world stop around her, not even noting the shocked gasps that are in part due to Lauren’s fall and in part to the neck and neck race Cabello and Simpson are in towards the snitch hovering just feet above the ground. She is totally focussed on Lauren’s still body on the ground, and doesn’t even feel herself directing her broom towards the bottom of the Ravenclaw goal.

The next few hours are a blur. She is vaguely aware that they lose the match. Camila catches the snitch after her dramatic dive with Brad, sending Hufflepuff to a 180-70 victory. But she finds she doesn’t care. She is all too aware of the way Lauren was impacted by the bludger and the potential injuries she could have sustained. It doesn’t help that Madam Pomfrey orders her to be kept outside of the Hospital Wing while she attends to Lauren (Normani was almost definitely being obstructive, but she’s not totally in control of her body). While she’s seen the incredible abilities of magic to heal, it’s still difficult to shake the sense of dread that head injuries of that nature can instill. 

She is aware that Dinah visits her in her vigil outside the hospital wing, bringing her dinner and encouragement to shower and sleep (“It doesn’t do you any good to be dirty and tired, and it certainly doesn’t do Lauren any good”). She can’t remember if the rest of the Ravenclaw team comes to see Lauren as well, though she’s sure they must have, as she’s been relieved of her broom and padding and left with her regular clothing neatly folded next to her. 

When Madam Pomfrey finds her unconscious outside the hospital wing the next morning, she firsts scolds her and then informs her that Lauren will, in fact, be OK. When Normani’s finally allowed in several hours later, she firmly berates Lauren for not keeping her eyes out for bludgers before bursting into tears as she holds her friend in a crushing hug. As far as declarations of love go, this is the biggest one Normani’s ever made.

\------

Lauren is released from the hospital the next week with a newly repaired skull and three ribs, and somewhat reluctantly allows Normani to fuss over her like a mother, making sure she doesn’t have to exert herself, or go up and down stairs unassisted, or ever get even the slightest bit hungry without having a full meal placed in front of her. Lauren would stress to Normani that magical healing is incredibly effective and she’s in almost no pain at all, but she can sense that Normani is gaining more relief and peace of mind then her. And honestly, she’s just glad to have her best friend back.

\-----

March comes and goes uneventfully. The snow thaws around Hogwarts and signs of life begin to show themselves in the castle grounds. Inside the castle, however, life is slowly dissipating, as frazzled seventh-years prepare themselves for the ever approaching NEWT exams. Head Girl Ally Brooke is confined to the hospital wing under Madam Pomfrey’s careful supervision for three days after two terms of built up sleep deprivation hit suddenly and dramatically on the grand stair case, sending Ally tumbling and the first years behind her falling like dominoes. 

Reunited (best) friends Lauren and Normani become reacquainted to being around each other – it turns out even after six years of friendship, it can be strange to spend time together after two months apart. Lauren sheepishly accepts Normani’s early birthday present of a rugby style headguard with the promise that yes, she will “look out for your damn self this time.” With the addition of Dinah, they become a band of three. Who could never talk about quidditch, lest the notorious “Black Lake incident” (which cannot be discussed) is ever repeated. Suffice to say, their on field passion for their house quidditch teams can manifest itself just as strongly off the field. 

On a trip to Honeydukes in early April, the three find themselves sheltering from an unseasonably brisk wind inside The Three Broomsticks, huddled in a small booth in the back of the pub. Normani is at the bar ordering them a round of Butterbeers and Cauldron Cakes when her (permanently) off-again ex-boyfriend Aron approached her. 

“Hey mama.” He drawled, sidling up to her in the small space available on the bar.

“Don’t call me that.” Normani said dismissively, swatting at him with her hand as though her were an annoying housefly.

“Huh? You used to like it when I called you that.”

“Well, not anymore.” 

“Why so hostile, Mani? You ain’t missing what we had?”

Closing her eyes to gather her strength, she turned to face him. How come she never realised how irritating he could be when they were actually together? Perhaps accepting the unrequited nature of her feelings for Lauren had removed any need for him. Nothing soothes a bruised ego like another’s interest, after all.

“Look, I’m sorry Arin. I don’t mean to be short with you. But we’re not together anymore.”

“Hey I can accept that. But we were friends with benefits before, can’t we just do the friends part now?”

“To be honest, I don’t think we ever did the friends part, Arin.” 

Normani is saved from her conversation by Madam Rosmerta serving up her drinks at snacks. Nodding goodbye at Arin, she grabs the tray and winds her way back to their table, where her two friends awaited her.

“Welcome back, Mani! We were about to send out a search party!” Dinah declared as she reaches to grab her drink. “What was the hold up?”

“Oh nothing really. It was busy up there, and Arin decided that was the perfect time to try and rekindle our relationship.”

Lauren’s expression is unreadable to Normani as she speaks up.

“He giving you any trouble? I can have a word with him if you want.”

“Nah it’s OK. He seemed to be OK with being friends.”

“That doesn’t seem like Arin.” Dinah laughed. “Boy only has one train of thought when it comes to you. Not that I can blame him though. You’re the finest woman this side of the equator, and he has to know that.” 

Normani is eyeing Dinah suspiciously, and misses the flash of jealousy that crosses Lauren’s features at their playful flirting, but Dinah does not.

“Well you don’t like him, right?” Lauren asks, a surprisingly aggressive edge to her voice.

“N-“ Normani goes to deny, but she is cut off by a mischievous Dinah.

“No, they’re old news! But, I don’t know if Normani’s told you this, but she’s got her eyes on someone else.”

“Dinah.” Normani warned lowly. Dinah simply winked back at her before facing Lauren, who predictably took the bait Dinah dangled in front of her.

“Is that right?” She asked, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “Mani hadn’t told me.”

“She didn’t want to upset you.” Dinah said. Not technically a lie, Normani conceded, keeping a wary eye on her friend, ready to interject at any sign Dinah was about to give away her secret. “The person she likes is pretty close to you.”

“Oh yeah?” Lauren’s voice came out a little bit choked.

“Mm-hmm. I can give you a hint. She’s in our year… she’s a Ravenclaw… and she’s a Quidditch player. There you go. See if you can figure it out.” Dinah leaned back, a satisfied smirk on her face as she took a long draught of her butterbeer.

Lauren meanwhile, looked somewhere between perplexed and betrayed, and Normani was glaring daggers at her friend. Clearing her throat, she spoke up to end the silence that had befallen them.

“She’s just joking around. There’s no one I like really. I’m just happily single. Focussing on my school work.” Roughly half those statements were true.

“You like someone on the team?” Lauren asked, seeming to disregard (or simply not register) anything Normani had said. “Is that why you were avoiding me? You knew that I didn’t want people in the team dating each other so you just didn’t speak to me about it? You could have told me, you know. I wouldn’t have been angry.”

“I’m not- Lauren- Like I said, Dinah was just joking around, there’s no-” Normani was cut off by Lauren abruptly standing.

“Um, I just remembered – I have all this history of magic coursework that I have to do. Sorry to bail like this, but you understand.”

“Of course.” Normani reassured her, turning to glare at Dinah when the other girl had left.

“What the HELL was that, Dinah!”

“What the hell was what? I just did more for your relationship over the course of one butterbeer than you have in six years. I should be getting paid for this, honestly.”

“Screw you, Dinah. You made her uncomfortable. She thinks I like her, and now she’s run away. Congratulations. I hope that was what you were aiming for.”

Dinah stared at her friend incredulously for a moment.

“I thought you were just pretending to be stupid but you honestly believe that, don’t you? How you were sorted into Ravenclaw… She doesn’t think you like her, which is why she reacted the way she did. She thinks you like someone else.”

“Why, why would she be angry about me being interested in someone else?”

“God you’re thick. She likes you! And now she thinks you like someone else, and she’s jealous. Which is what has happened every single time you’ve shown interest in somebody that’s not her. Haven’t you ever noticed that she’s never liked a single boy that you’ve dated? She only just started liking me, and no offense but thinking about you in that way makes me want to barf.”

“None taken. OK, so she doesn’t like the guys I’m interested in. She’s just… particular about the people she surrounds herself with.”

“Which has largely been you. Forever.” Dinah let out a long sigh. “Why won’t you just accept that there’s a pretty high chance that she likes you back?”

“I can’t.” Normani admitted, eyes welling up. “I’d rather pine in silence than risk losing her as a friend.”

Gazing at her best friend on the verge of tears, Dinah wordlessly scooped her up into a hug, holding her as her body shook with sobs. Getting these two to make each other happy was harder than she thought.

\------

Following their conversation at the Three Broomsticks, it was Lauren’s turn to avoid Normani. Citing coursework every time Normani tried to approach her, and even remaining remarkable stoic (except to bark orders at her increasingly frightened team) during Quidditch practice. The rest of the team hadn’t failed to notice the tension between the two girls, but none of them were feeling brave or foolhardy enough to bring it up to either of them. If there’s one thing you can say about Ravenclaws, it’s that they know when to pick their battles.

Normani is sheltering from the sullen tension that has infected the whole of Ravenclaw at breakfast with Dinah on the Gryffindor table when they are unexpectedly joined by a distressed looking Hailee.

“I can’t take it anymore, Normani. You have to make her stop.”

“I can’t make her stop anything.” Normani muttered. “She won’t even talk to me.”

“Unfortunately she will talk to me.” Hailee asserted. “And when she’s not yelling at me during practice, she’s shooting death glares at me whenever I’m near her. And worst of all, I have no idea what I’ve done to make her mad.”

“Well I don’t know either, sorry Hailee.”

“I think I do.” Dinah interrupted somewhat sheepishly.

“Yeah?”

“It’s probably my fault. To be fair, I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true. Lauren just drew her own conclusions!”

“What are you talking about?” 

“I may or may not have accidentally made Lauren believe that Normani has a crush on you.”

“Normani… has a crush on me? But everyone knows she’s, like, in love with Lauren.”

Normani blushed furiously at Hailee’s words. Everyone knew? But what came next just made her roll her eyes.

“So Lauren’s jealous, right?”

“Absolutely!” Dinah grinned at the chaser before turning to Normani. “See, she gets it.”

“Lauren’s not jealous.” Normani said dismissively. 

“…Riiiight.” Hailee drawled. “And I’m the Minister for Magic. Anyone else got any lies they’d like to speak?”

“Are you paying her to do this?” Normani looked suspiciously at Dinah. Dinah shook her head, grinning.

“Nope. I mean, I would if I thought it would work. But I had nothing to do with this. Hailee, and everyone else, can just see what you refuse to.”

“OK. So say, theoretically, Lauren likes me and is jealous of my “feelings” for Hailee. What am I supposed to do? She won’t even talk to me.”

“OK,” Hailee starts. “Not to, like, diminish your internal struggle, or whatever, but I bet Brad 10 galleons that Lauren would make the first move, so just keep that in mind when you’re deciding what to do, yeah?”

Normani just stares dumbfounded at Hailee as the other girl smirks and accepts a high five from a hysterically laughing Dinah. 

\------

It’s the night before the final game against Gryffindor before Normani gets a chance (read: builds up the courage) to talk to Lauren. It’s after their final training session – they’ve finished an hour early to give the team a chance to get some sleep before the match. Lauren is cleaning their training equipment when Normani approaches her.

“You know there’s an easier way to that, right? It’s called magic.”

Lauren seems taken aback by the lightness in Normani’s tone and looks for a moment like she might snap at her before the tension disappears from her shoulders. 

“Spoken like a true muggle.” She teases, eyes playful.

“Hey, I’m just here for efficiency. I’m never cleaning by hand again know that I can do it instantly and with no effort.”

Lauren shrugs. “I enjoy it. It calms me down. There’s no catharsis in waving your wand and getting instant results.”

“Perhaps. What do you need catharsis from, anyway?”

“Nothing much. Stress of exams. Stress of Quidditch. The inevitable and unavoidable nature of death.”

Normani actually laughs at that, and feels the rest of the tension disappear from the room.

“Perhaps not inevitable.” Normani reasons. “Just look at Nicholas Flamel.”

“Nicholas Flamel’s dead, Mani.” Lauren deadpans.

“Hey, you know what I mean! Guy got what, 900 years? Maybe you could create the next elixir of life.”

“First of all, I’m shit at potions. Second of all, I wouldn’t want 900 years. Not without yo- not without the people I love.” She says hastily.

“Is that right? You’re probably right. One lifetime is enough, if you spend it with the right person.”

“Person?” Lauren questions, an eyebrow raised.

“Or people? You know.”

“I don’t know that I do.” Lauren sits up, looking curiously at Normani. “Tell me. Who is the right person? Or people.” She adds as an afterthought.

“Not Hailee Steinfeld, that’s for sure.” She laughs. “Not that I don’t love her, of course, but there’s very few people I could spend a life with.”

“Not Hailee? But I thought-”

“It doesn’t matter what you thought. It’s OK. You’ll always be my number one, Jauregui. Don’t you worry.”

Talking around the issue, it turns out, is one of Normani’s great talents. 

\------

“And what a lovely day for this defining match of the Quiddith cup! It’s Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor today, and lets cut straight to the facts. Defending champions Gryffindor enter the game with a 70 point advantage after fan favourites Ravenclaw were strong armed out of what should have been a cruisey win against Hufflepuff. However, don’t doubt that indomitable Ravenclaw spirit! Captain Jauregui returns with a new fire and a new set of ribs to once more grasp at the straws of glory. Here is the Ravenclaw team! Jauregui, Kordei, Haynes, Blanchard, Steinfeld, Weasley and Simspon! And the defending Quidditch cup champions! Folau, Hansen, Captain Hayne, Thirlwall, Edwards, Styles and Brooke! Madam Hooch has entered the field of play… the bludgers and snitch have been released… and WE’RE OFF!”

To say the game from that point was fast paced was putting it lightly. Not even ten minutes had passed before a hundred points were already on the board.

“And with that, Ravenclaw extends the lead to 60-40. It’s a narrow margin, and they will need to do better to have a real shot at lifting the Quidditch cup…” 

“Gryffindor chaser Edwards takes a narrow lead for her team, 110-100!”

“It’s interesting to see such a incredible offense go up against such an incredible defense! We haven’t seen these Ravenclaw chasers stumped like this before. Score remains Gryffindor 160 – Ravenclaw 100.”

“Seekers Brooke and Simpson are hot on the pursuit of the snitch – Simpson doing his best to keep Brooke away, his team needs more points on the board – a bludger from Kordei sends them scattering – the snitch has disappeared and Ravenclaw can breathe a sigh of relief. The score remains Gryffindor 250- Ravenclaw 200!”

“A well hit bludger from Hansen leaves the Ravenclaw defense reeling… and Thirlwall scores! 300-230!”

“Blanchard leads a defiant counter attack against Gryffindor as seeker Brad Simpson prays for a sight of the snitch. Blanchard… Steinfeld… Blanchard… Weasley… and Weasley scores! 320- 250. That famous Weasley spirit giving fresh hope to a depleted Ravenclaw side.”

“Gryffindor Seeker Ally Brooke seems to have spotted the snitch, she’s hot on it’s tail – but Simpson is in pursuit – Simpson draws level – a bludgers from both teams narrowly miss the pair – it’s neck and neck – and SIMPSON HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! RAVENCLAW WINS 400-320! AND IF MY MATHS IS CORRECT, RAVENCLAW HAVE WON THE QUIDDITCH CUP!”

Normani felt almost buoyed by the deafening screams of the crowd in the stands beneath her. Making her way to the ground she is greeted by the arms of Lauren, clutching onto her for dear life as she shouts into her ear.

“WE DID IT MANI, WE DID IT! WE’RE CHAMPIONS!”

Normani can’t tear the smile off her face as they jump around together, and it threatens to split her face when they are embraced by the rest of the team and the hundreds of Ravenclaw supporters who flood the pitch. Even Dinah finds time for a sweaty hug in the midst of it all, whispering a congratulations in her ear and shooting a meaningful look at Lauren’s hand clutched in hers.

And when Professor McGonagall hands her and Lauren the Quidditch cup and they raise it to the screams of their friends and housemates, Normani’s heart threatens to burst with the weight of the emotion it feels. Rose Weasley grabs the trophy off of them to have chance to raise it, and when Normani looks back at Lauren she finally sees such affection in her eyes, that she throws all of her doubts out the window and draws the other girl into her, lips colliding together like and unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. And it’s never felt more right.

\------

Four Months Later

Normani’s never been one for goodbyes. But as an inevitable part of life, she’s gotten used to tolerating them, if only on the proviso that they’re not permanent. It’s September again, and the last summer of her youth is over. Normani is headed for the Ministry of Magic to begin training as an Auror, and Lauren is headed to the south of England, to Chudley (along with their good friend Dinah Jane) where she vows that “if I can make Ravenclaw win after 20 years, I can make the Chudley Cannons win after 120”. 

“Remember to write me every day, OK. Don’t be a stranger.”

Lauren rolled her eyes at her girlfriend’s antics. “You know, the crazy thing about magic is that I can come and see you whenever I want. I can just tell you about my day in person.”  
“Yeah but letters are way more romantic. And absence make the heart grow fonder right?”

“I thought that was attempting to repress your feelings until you dramatically let them be known in front of a screaming crowd?” Lauren teases, trying to rile Normani up.

“Well you’d know as well as I would.”

“Touché.” Lauren chuckled. “OK. I promise to write. I promise to only visit you when you ask me to. However hard that may be. But you gotta promise that you won’t let Hailee Steinfeld seduce you while I’m away.”

“For the last time, Lauren. Dinah was just trying to get a reaction out of you. And it clearly worked. It’s been months.”

“Still. All the same. Hearing you say it would make me feel better.” Lauren said, leaning in to peck Normani on the lips.

“I. Promise. That. I. Won’t. Let. Hailee. Steinfeld. Seduce. Me.” Normani said, punctuating each word with a kiss on Lauren’s lips. “But you gotta get going. Doesn’t do to show up late on the first day of work.”

“Alright, mum. I’m going. Bye.” Lauren planted one last kiss, before turning on her heel and apparating.

Smiling to herself, Normani pressed her fingers to her lips, still feeling each of Lauren’s kisses upon them. Walking back into her house, she noticed a letter that lay unopened on the kitchen table. Opening it, she was greeted with Lauren’s familiar handwriting.

PS, don’t tell her I said this, but you’re a much better beater than Dinah. XX L

 

Yep, She thought contentedly, she’s a keeper.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Sooo I wrote the first half of this like three months ago to procrastinate work and now I finished it to procrastinate my uni coursework! Hope you all enjoy :) x


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